Abstract
This multi-study survey research examines the factors that affect the willingness to buy regional agricultural products and the role of consumers' green values. A Sustainability Consumer-Industry-Response Framework is proposed to explore the sustainability impacts of regional agricultural operations on consumers. Study 1 (a pilot study) included 265 younger consumers in the Southeastern US. Study 2 was conducted with a national panel of 507 US consumers. The results illustrate that consumers' green values work through communalization and perceptions of agricultural producers as sustainably responsible. While producers' sustainability practices had an impact on consumers' concerns about the traceability of agricultural products, the impact was negative and did not affect their willingness to buy. Consumers' green values impacted their ethically minded behavior in general, but ethical behavior did not impact their willingness to buy regional agricultural products. Finally, value consciousness and willingness to pay a premium moderate the relationships in the overall model.